True, but conservatives don’t help themselves either when they run 2+ candidates against the moderate or liberal. Sadly it’s often more like 8 candidates.
If we want to take the party over, we got to get smarter and elect the electable conservative, not the one that strokes the ego. Too many conservatives love those long shot candidates because they’re generally more accessible and it’s easier to be in the inner circle. Too many conservatives are also wannabe power brokers and poohbahs who sign on to these candidates to feel important.
Trust me, being in politics in Iowa and us being first in the nation, it is almost a cancer here. I’ve seen more opportunity squandered by the dick swingers who’ve got to have their hand controlling the lever or forget it, and try to pass it off as supporting the ‘true’ conservative candidate. It’s greed and lust for power, pure and simple.
If I ran the GOP this is what I’d do.
First, no debates. Why provide fodder later for the Democrats in the General, especially with liberal moderators.
Second. Primaries are in the order of percentage of the vote for the Republican in the previous general election.
Third. After the third primary, only the top two should remain. All others need to drop out.